Tape drives are widely used for storing information in digital form. These tape drives commonly use a storage tape having a thin film of magnetic material for receiving the information. Typically, the storage tape is moved between a feed reel and a take-up reel, past a data transducer to record or read back information from the storage tape. In one type of tape drive system, the take-up reel is part of the tape drive, while the feed reel is part of a removable cartridge. Alternately, in another type of tape drive system, the feed reel and the take-up reel are both part of the removable cartridge.
The need for increased storage capacity has led to the need to increase data density of the storage tape. Further, the need for decreasing retrieval time has led to increasing the speed of movement of the storage tape between the reels. With increased data densities and tape speeds, the accurate and stable movement of the storage tape past the data transducer is critical to the accurate transfer and retrieval of information from the storage tape.
Unfortunately, transfer of the storage tape between the reels often results in lateral movement of the storage tape. This lateral movement increases data transfer errors and decreases the life of the storage tape. Presently, in most tape drive systems, each reel includes a hub which separates a pair of disk-shaped flanges. The flanges guide the storage tape on to and off of the hub. One attempt to reduce the lateral tape movement includes adding bumps to the flanges to better guide the storage tape. However, the bumps in the flanges are relatively difficult and expensive to accurately manufacture. Further, with this type of reel, only a small distance exists between the bumps in the flanges of the take-up reel. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a relief, commonly referred to as an involute, in one of the flanges of the take-up reel to allow for a take-up leader to pass onto the take-up reel because the take-up leader is wider than the storage tape. The involute is also very difficult and expensive to manufacture into the flanges. Accordingly, there is a need for an easier, more accurate, and less expensive way to inhibit lateral tape movement and increase storage tape life.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tape drive system which inhibits lateral tape movement and minimizes wear of the storage tape. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a tape drive system having increased storage capacity, decreased data retrieval time, and more accurate data retrieval. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tape drive system which is relatively easy and cost efficient to manufacture and utilize.